Kernels announce 2013 field staff
Jake Mauer is the Kernels manager for 2013. He begins his sixth season as a manager in the Twins organization after managing the Fort Myers Miracle the past three seasons. He was the 23rd round pick of the Twins in the 2001 First Year Player Draft and played five seasons in the Twins system, including 84 games in the Midwest League for Quad Cities. He is the brother of Twins catcher, Joe Mauer, and attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. He resides in Shoreview, MN with his wife, Rachel; daughter, Lauren, and son, Jake.
Gary Lucas is the Kernels pitching coach and begins his sixth consecutive season in the Midwest League. He was selected by Cincinnati in the supplemental first round of the 1973 First Year Player Draft but did not sign and was taken by San Diego in the 19th round of the 1976 June draft out of Chapman College. He pitched for eight seasons in the Majors (San Diego, Montreal and California) with a career 29-44 record, 3.01 ERA and 63 saves in 409 games. He resides in Rice Lake, WI with his wife, Taffee and has three daughters Mindy, Holly and Karlee.
Tommy Watkins begins his fourth season as a coach at the professional level as the Kernels hitting coach. He was selected by the Twins in the 38th round of the 1998 First Year Player Draft out of Riverside HS in Florida and played 12 seasons in the Twins organization, including nine games for the Twins in 2007, primarily at third base. He played 78 games for Quad Cities in 2001 and has a career .248 average with 31 HR and 290 RBI in 959 minor league games. He resides in Fort Myers, FL.
Ryan Hedwall is the Kernels trainer after spending 2012 with Elizabethton. The Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) named him both the 2012 Appalachian and Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year and it's the second year in a row he won the Appalachian Trainer of the Year. He resides in Minneapolis, MN.
The Kernels open the 12th season in Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 4th at 6:35 pm against the Beloit Snappers. Season tickets and 10-game anytime coupon books are on sale now -- call the Kernels at (319) 363-3887 or visit www.kernels.com for more information. Individual game tickets go on sale Monday, March 18, 2013 at 10 am.